HASS · Year 10

Active learning ideas

The 1967 Referendum Campaign

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of the 1967 Referendum by moving beyond passive listening. Debates, source analysis, and role-plays require students to engage with historical arguments, recognize bias, and confront misconceptions through direct participation. This approach builds critical thinking skills while making the campaign’s stakes feel immediate and real.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H10K05

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Debate Carousel: Yes vs No Arguments

Divide class into 'Yes' and 'No' teams. Each team prepares three key arguments using primary sources. Teams rotate to defend or challenge positions at different stations, recording counterpoints. Conclude with a class vote and reflection on persuasive tactics.

Analyze the key arguments presented by proponents of the 'Yes' vote.

Facilitation Tip

During the Debate Carousel, assign each group a specific role (e.g., Faith Bandler’s team, a state government representative) to ensure balanced participation and prevent one-sided dominance.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a voter in 1967. Based on the arguments presented by both sides, what factors would most influence your decision to vote 'Yes' or 'No'?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their reasoning, citing specific campaign points.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Campaign Materials

Assign groups specific artifacts like posters, speeches, or newspaper clippings. Groups identify biases, audiences, and techniques, then teach their findings to others in a jigsaw rotation. Synthesize class insights into a shared digital timeline.

Explain the common misconceptions about what the 1967 Referendum achieved.

Facilitation Tip

For the Source Analysis Jigsaw, provide each group with a different type of campaign material (posters, speeches, newspaper clippings) so they can compare how messages were tailored to different audiences.

What to look for

Provide students with a short list of statements about the 1967 Referendum (e.g., 'It gave Indigenous Australians the right to vote,' 'It made Indigenous Australians citizens'). Ask them to label each statement as 'Accurate' or 'Misconception' and briefly explain why for one statement.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 40 min · Pairs

Mock Public Awareness Rally

Students create and present short campaign speeches or skits as historical figures. Hold a whole-class 'rally' where audience members vote on most convincing messages. Follow with discussion on media's role in the real campaign.

Evaluate the role of public awareness campaigns in securing the 'Yes' vote.

Facilitation Tip

In the Mock Public Awareness Rally, assign students roles beyond speakers, such as reporters or protesters, to deepen their engagement with the campaign’s public dimensions.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one key argument used by 'Yes' campaigners and one common misconception about what the referendum achieved. Collect these to gauge understanding of core campaign messages and outcomes.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Pairs

Argument Mapping Gallery Walk

Pairs map 'Yes' and 'No' arguments on posters, linking to evidence. Class walks the gallery, adding sticky notes with questions or rebuttals. Debrief identifies strongest cases and common ground.

Analyze the key arguments presented by proponents of the 'Yes' vote.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a voter in 1967. Based on the arguments presented by both sides, what factors would most influence your decision to vote 'Yes' or 'No'?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their reasoning, citing specific campaign points.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching this topic requires balancing historical context with critical literacy. Start by clarifying that the referendum did not grant citizenship or voting rights—students often conflate this with earlier reforms like the 1948 Nationality and Citizenship Act. Use primary sources to show how activists framed their arguments, and avoid simplifying the ‘Yes’ side as universally supported. Research shows students retain more when they confront misconceptions directly through structured debates and source work.

Students will confidently articulate the key arguments on both sides of the referendum, identify the campaign’s strategies, and assess its limitations. They will also correct common misconceptions by comparing pre- and post-referendum realities. Evidence of this understanding will appear in their debate points, source annotations, and rally materials.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Debate Carousel, watch for statements like ‘The referendum gave Aboriginal people voting rights for the first time.’ Redirect students to compare the 1967 arguments with the 1948 Citizenship Act and 1949/1962 voting rights legislation.

  During the Source Analysis Jigsaw, provide students with pre- and post-referendum newspaper clippings or laws to annotate side-by-side. Have them highlight which rights existed before 1967 and which the referendum actually enabled.

• During the Mock Public Awareness Rally, listen for claims that the referendum ‘gave full equality or land rights’ to Indigenous Australians.

  After the rally, distribute a timeline or infographic showing post-referendum policies (e.g., 1971 Gove land rights case, 1976 Aboriginal Land Rights Act). Ask students to identify where equality or land rights were addressed—and where they were not.

• During the Argument Mapping Gallery Walk, expect assumptions that the ‘Yes’ vote succeeded because of spontaneous public support.

  During the Gallery Walk, place campaign posters from the ‘Yes’ side next to data on voter turnout and polling booth results. Have students analyze which groups organized the campaigns and how targeted messaging influenced outcomes.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Gallery Walk